Full results from today's Nokere Koerse in Belgium won by Gert Steegmans (Quick Step Cycling Team). Kevin Lacombe (Spidertech p/b C10) finished 8th in the same time as the winner

Nokere Koerse: Gert Steegmans' return to victory

Quick-Step Cycling Team is standing out as a major player on the roads in Belgium. Today Gert Steegmans clinched victory in the Nokere Koerse. It's an important result that ushers in his return to victory wearing the Quick-Step jersey. The strong Belgian sprinter has been absent from the highest step on the podium for too long. Steegmans was able to express all of his power on the slightly uphill arrival, made treacherous by cobblestones, and he preceded Dutchman Stefan Van Dijk (Team Willem Accent) and Australian Graeme Brown (Team Rabobank) over the finish line.

“I'm thrilled” explains Steegmans “The team worked really well. In the last 400 metres everything just clicked; it wasn't a chaotic sprint, but quite orderly, just like I like it, with ideal conditions for me to progressively unload my power on the pedals. I feel in great shape and I hope to continue like this for the next steps of the season. I hope this victory” says Steegmans , who will be racing again on Friday in the Handzame Classic “can bring good luck to me in the next races and to my team mates who'll be busy on Saturday in the Milano-Sanremo.”

“We're very happy” says Sports Director Tom Steels “The entire team raced in an exceptional manner, hungry for victory. In the final, even though Robert got a flat and Stauff had some mechanical problems, all the guys tried to work and stay together to set Steegmans up in the best conditions to battle it out in a great final sprint. To complete today's success, in addition to Gert's victory we also got the jersey for the mountain classification with Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, who starred in a long breakaway with nine other riders."